BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
A young boy is taken to view a mural his grandfather painted, and the boy's father tells him about how the artist (his father) learned to paint. This is a biographical sketch of African American artist Charles White. When the artist was 5 years old, his mother left him at the library during the day while she went to work. He spent his days looking at books. He started drawing, then painting learning techniques from watching art students.
While I understand the author is the son of Charles White, and the book represents passing the story along to another generation, the presentation is flat - the child asks a question and the father answers it. I was glad to see some of his art presented at the end of the book - I would have loved to see some of what he did as a boy - as that is the life sketch. Includes credited artwork, and a brief biography.
Lisa Librarian
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